938 Apartments for rent in Scottsdale, AZ

Congratulations! If you’re moving to Scottsdale, you’re probably doing alright for yourself....Congratulations! If you’re moving to Scottsdale, you’re probably doing alright for yourself. Scottsdale is one of the more exclusive enclaves of the greater Phoenix desert m...Read Guide >

Congratulations! If you’re moving to Scottsdale, you’re probably doing alright for yourself. Scottsdale is one of the more exclusive enclaves of the greater Phoenix desert metroplex. A hop and a skip from downtown and right next door to college town Tempe, you’ll never be lacking for food, entertainment, or shopping around here. Pop open a nice bottle of wine and read on.

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Summer in Scottsdale feels like summer in a wok. It is hot. And then more hot. The average daily temperature from June through September is over 100 degrees. Unless you are a mutant, you will use air conditioning, and lots of it. Every unit should have AC in some form, but you’ll want to be doubly sure that it is adequate. You’ll also want to pay extra attention to which utilities are or are not included in your rental agreement. If you are paying your own utilities, and you probably will be, request to see your unit’s power bills for the past couple years so you can calculate your true out of pocket cost per month.

In the greater Phoenix area, there are no clearly visible boundaries between cities. Phoenix, Glendale, Tempe, Scottsdale- they can all blend together, especially to new residents. We think a simple rule of thumb for gauging where you are in Scottsdale is thinking in terms of north and south.

South Scottsdale borders Tempe, home to Arizona State University, and the further south you go in Scottsdale, the more the city takes on the character of its college town neighbor. You’ll find more apartment complexes and simple condos with a residency consisting mostly of students and the youngish, working class demographics. If you’re more record shop than wine bar, this is your part of Scottsdale.

If you’re looking to rent in this part of Scottsdale, though, be sure to compare rents with similar apartments just over the border in Tempe. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to tell where Scottsdale ends and Tempe begins for dozens of blocks in any direction, but you may get charged a few bucks extra just for the perceived prestige of a Scottsdale address.

South Scottsdale is also a good place to consider if you are looking for a flexible agreement. Landlords are more accustomed to a transient student rental pool and may accommodate a month-to-month lease or more creative terms of your choice. The same can’t be said about the north, unfortunately.

Locals sometimes say that if Tempe is for students, Scottsdale is for graduates. And apparently, the further north you go in Scottsdale, the further the graduates have advanced in their careers. The north is what gives Scottsdale its reputation for exclusivity. Sometimes coveted, sometimes derided as “Snotsdale,” this is the posh part of town.

Scottsdale’s Old Town area is a major draw. Think of it as somewhere between an Old West reenactment zone and an open-air mall. And while the desert landscape painting galleries, hitching posts, and wagon wheel chandeliers may strike a rather faux feel at times, this is not strictly a tourist trap. Once you learn the lay of the land, you’ll find neighborhood shops and a place to watch the ballgame with locals, too. Most Scottsdale apartments offer some kind of parking, but you’ll want to be extra sure if you rent here. Old Town is abuzz evenings and weekends all year round. As far as the type of apartment to look for, you best bets in “Old Town,” ironically, are newer condos and lofts. The older accommodations have a reputation for being substandard.

Gorgeous River or Icky Canal?

The Scottsdale Waterfront area, north of Old Town, pitches itself as a glamorous hotspot with high end shops and restaurants; and to a degree, it is exactly that. Reviews from the locals are mixed, however, and sales and rentals of the numerous luxury condos built in this area stalled after an initial burst of interest. In short, it is polarizing, so if you’re considering renting here, hang out, shop and have dinner a few times before taking the plunge.

Cool Ranch

Want to live on a golf course? Yes? Then come on down! McCormick Ranch is mostly residential. This is a potential area for bargains if you are patient. And by bargain, we mean that relatively for Scottsdale, of course.

The New Old

Some are already calling this the new Old Town. It doesn’t have as many hitching posts, but it does have just as much shopping. Don’t miss the spa options, either. The rents around here are climbing, though, so be prepared.

Gaining Ground

A good mix of the residential and commercial, Gainey Ranch has seen an uptick in popularity recently. It may be a good option if you want to pay a little less than in Kierland, but want more to do than in McCormick.

We said it once and we’ll say it again, if you’re moving to Scottsdale, you’re most likely in the money. Now get out there and find a great spot to enjoy the smooth, financial sailing. Enjoy your stay in the West’s Most Western Town! We’re positive you will.

August 2017 Scottsdale Rent Report

Welcome to the August 2017 Scottsdale Rent Report. Scottsdale rents remained steady over the past month. In this report, we'll evaluate trends in the Scottsdale rental market, including comparisons to cities throughout the metro and nation.

Scottsdale rent trends were flat over the past month

Scottsdale rents have remained flat over the past month, however, they have increased moderately by 3.5% year-over-year. Currently, median rents in Scottsdale stand at $1,010 for a one-bedroom apartment and $1,260 for a two-bedroom. Scottsdale's year-over-year rent growth lags the state average of 4.6%, but exceeds the national average of 2.9%.

Rents rising across the Phoenix Metro

Throughout the past year, rent increases have been occurring not just in the city of Scottsdale, but across the entire metro. Of the largest 10 cities that we have data for in the Phoenix metro, all of them have seen prices rise. Arizona as a whole has logged a 4.6% year-over-year growth. Here's a look at how rents compare across some of the largest cities in the metro.

Mesa has seen the fastest rent growth in the metro, with a year-over-year increase of 6.4%. The median two-bedroom there costs $1,050, while one-bedrooms go for $840.

Gilbert has the most expensive rents of the largest cities in the Phoenix metro, with a two-bedroom median of $1,360; rents increased 3.4% over the past year but remained flat month-over-month.

Phoenix proper has the least expensive rents in the Phoenix metro, with a two-bedroom median of $1,020; rents increased 0.3% over the past month and 5.0% over the past year.

Scottsdale rents more affordable than many large cities nationwide

As rents have increased in Scottsdale, a few large cities nationwide have seen rents grow more modestly, or in some cases, even decline. Scottsdale is still more affordable than most large cities across the country.

Scottsdale's median two-bedroom rent of $1,260 is above the national average of $1,160. Nationwide, rents have grown by 2.9% over the past year.

While Scottsdale's rents rose over the past year, the city of Miami saw a decrease of 0.8%.

Renters will find more reasonable prices in Scottsdale than most large cities. Comparably, San Francisco has a median 2BR rent of $3,060, which is nearly two-and-a-half times the price in Scottsdale.

For more information check out our
national report.
You can also access our full data for cities and counties across the U.S. at
this link.

City

Median 1BR price

Median 2BR price

M/M price change

Y/Y price change

Phoenix

$820

$1,020

0.3%

5.0%

Mesa

$840

$1,050

0.1%

6.4%

Chandler

$1,030

$1,280

0.6%

5.0%

Glendale

$870

$1,090

0.1%

5.6%

Scottsdale

$1,010

$1,260

0.0%

3.5%

Gilbert

$1,090

$1,360

0.1%

3.4%

Tempe

$910

$1,130

0.6%

5.7%

Peoria

$1,080

$1,340

0.2%

5.5%

Surprise

$1,070

$1,330

-0.1%

3.9%

Avondale

$970

$1,210

0.2%

3.2%

Goodyear

$1,100

$1,370

-0.9%

4.7%

Fountain Hills

$1,020

$1,270

-0.6%

1.8%

See more

Methodology - Recent Updates:

Data from private listing sites, including our own, tends to skew toward luxury apartments, which introduces sample bias when estimates are calculated directly from these listings. To address these limitations, we’ve recently made major updates to our methodology, which we believe have greatly improved the accuracy and reliability of our estimates.

Read more about our new methodology below, or see a more detailed post here.

Methodology:

Apartment List is committed to making our rent estimates the best and most accurate available. To do this, we start with reliable median rent statistics from the Census Bureau, then extrapolate them forward to the current month using a growth rate calculated from our listing data. In doing so, we use a same-unit analysis similar to Case-Shiller’s approach, comparing only units that are available across both time periods to provide an accurate picture of rent growth in cities across the country.

Our approach corrects for the sample bias inherent in other private sources, producing results that are much closer to statistics published by the Census Bureau and HUD. Our methodology also allows us to construct a picture of rent growth over an extended period of time, with estimates that are updated each month.

About Rent Reports:

Apartment List publishes monthly reports on rental trends for hundreds of cities across the U.S. We intend these reports to be a source of reliable information that help renters and policymakers make sound decisions, and we invest significant time and effort in gathering and analyzing rent data. Our work is covered regularly by journalists across the country.

We are continuously working to improve our methodology and data, with the goal of providing renters with the information that they need to make the best decisions.

Apartment List has released results for Scottsdale from the second annual Apartment List Renter Satisfaction Survey. The survey, which drew on responses from over 30,000 renters, provides insight into what states and cities must do to meet the needs of the 105 million American renters nationwide.

“Scottsdale renters expressed high overall satisfaction with their city,” says Andrew Woo, Director of Data Science at Apartment List. “They gave high scores to most categories.”

Key findings in Scottsdale include the following:

Scottsdale renters give their city an A+ overall for satisfaction.

The highest-rated category for Scottsdale was its pet friendliness, which received an A+ score.

Renters were also very satisfied with local job and career opportunities (A), safety (A), access to parks and community events (A), and commute times (A-).

Renters seem somewhat dissatisfied with affordability and cost of living in Scottsdale, giving that category a C+ score.

Two of the largest concerns for Scottsdale renters were access to public transit (D) and the quality of local schools (D).

Scottsdale ranks highly for renter satisfaction, as does Chandler (A+). Renters here are more satisfied than those in other Arizona cities like Phoenix (B-) and Mesa (B-).